Method and mould for producing a panel assembly

• US 9,925,698 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto SE (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto SE (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Van Dyck, Johan Ria Hugo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Edmund
• Application Number:
  US14/782,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20160031124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14459 injecting seal elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/2697 Deformed geometry of the cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 31/044 with moving heads for distributing liquid or viscous material into the moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0044 for sealing off parts of inserts projecting into the mould cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/025 for making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/10 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles coating a surface by casting in general B05D1/30, B29C39/126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/24 Feeding the material into the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/26 Moulds or cores
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/386 using a movable, elongate nozzle, e.g. to reach deep into the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14418 Sealing means between mould and article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/20 Injection nozzles B29C45/1603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/26 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/15 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/503 Extruder machines or parts thereof characterised by the material or by their manufacturing process B29C48/256 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/763 the edges being disposed in a substantial flat plane
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2709/08 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2827/18 : PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene, e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2007/002 : Panels; Plates; Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/265 : Packings, Gaskets
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/778 : Windows profiled elements for making window frames B29L2031/005, windscreens B29L2031/3052

Abstract

Mold for producing a panel assembly comprising a panel and a gasket, which gasket is adhered to the panel, and extends along at least a portion of the periphery thereof, the mold comprising a first mold part and a second mold part that are formed such that the panel can been closed thereby forming a closed cavity the inner boundaries of which are formed by a first mold surface, a second mold surface and the periphery of the panel, and wherein the second mold part comprises a resilient lip extending along the periphery, the resilient lip being provided for being displaced by an applicator device to provide access to the closed cavity.

Claims

1. A method for producing a panel assembly comprising a panel and a gasket, which gasket is adhered to the panel, extends along at least a portion of the periphery thereof and has a surface moulded against a solid surface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first mould part having a first mould surface forming a first part of said solid surface;

placing the panel and the first mould surface against one another;

producing said gasket, by means of an applicator device moving along at least said portion of the periphery of the panel, forming a second part of said solid surface, while applying a composition onto said solid surface, the gasket being produced by allowing said composition to cure against said solid surface;

removing the panel and the gasket produced thereon from the mould;

wherein the composition has a dynamic viscosity, measured at a shear rate of 1/s, lower than 35000 mPa·

s when it arrives onto at least a portion of the solid surface, wherein the method further comprises;

providing a second mould part having a second mould surface forming a third part of said solid surface; and

placing the second mould part against the first mould part and the panel so that a closed cavity is formed the inner boundaries of which form said solid surface defining substantially the complete shape of the gasket;

wherein at least one of the first mould part and second mould part comprises a resilient lip extending along at least said portion of the periphery of the panel, the method further comprising while producing said gasket;

displacing said resilient lip by said applicator device to provide access to the closed cavity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises controlling a moving speed of said applicator device and a volumetric flow rate of said applying said composition such as to completely fill said closed cavity with said composition.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the moving speed and/or volumetric flow rate is controlled such that in a starting stage of said producing said gasket, the volumetric flow rate is higher than the volume of the inner cavity that is passed at said moving speed thereby providing an overdose of composition.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the moving speed and/or volumetric flow rate is controlled such that in a middle stage of said producing said gasket, the volumetric flow rate is substantially equal to the volume of the inner cavity that is passed at said moving speed.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, before producing said gasket, positioning said mould such that a first segment of said portion of the periphery of the panel is arranged to be located lower than a second segment of said portion of the periphery of the panel.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said producing of said gasket starts at said first segment.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second mould part is moveably mounted with respect to the first mould part, wherein the method comprises before the producing of the gasket, moving the second mould part towards the first mould part and the panel to form the closed cavity, and wherein the method comprises after the producing of the gasket, moving the second mould part away from the first mould part and the panel to open the closed cavity.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first mould part and second mould part is formed at least partially by a resilient material having a shore A hardness smaller than 90.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applying step comprises the step of allowing the curable composition to flow out of the closed cavity via an opening temporarily formed by said resilient lip.

10. A mould for producing a panel assembly comprising a panel and a gasket, which gasket is adhered to the panel, extends along at least a portion of the periphery thereof and has a surface moulded against a solid surface, the mould comprising a first mould part having a first mould surface, and a second mould part having a second mould surface, the first and second mould part being formed such that at least said portion of the periphery of the panel can be enclosed thereby forming a closed cavity the inner boundaries of which are formed by a combination of said first mould surface, said second mould surface and said portion of the periphery of the panel, wherein said solid surface is formed by the inner boundaries of the cavity, and wherein at least one of the first mould part and second mould part comprises a resilient lip extending along at least said portion of the periphery of the panel, the resilient lip being provided for being displaced by an applicator device to provide access to the closed cavity.

11. The mould according to claim 10, wherein said composition has a dynamic viscosity, measured at a shear rate of 1/s, lower than 35000 mPa·

s when it arrives onto at least a portion of the solid surface.

12. The mould according to claim 10, wherein said second mould part is moveably mounted with respect to the first mould part so that the closed cavity can be opened by moving the second mould part.

13. The mould according to claim 10, further comprising a guide extending along at least said portion of the periphery of the panel, which guide is provided for guiding said applicator device along said portion of the periphery of the panel and in a position where said applicator device applies a force to said resilient lip thereby displacing said lip to provide access to the closed cavity.

14. The mould according to claim 10, wherein said resilient lip is formed at the second mould part at an intersection with said first mould part, wherein the first mould part comprises a cutting edge forming an abutment for said resilient lip.

15. The mould according to claim 10, wherein said mould comprises a support that is rotateable around at least one laying axis such that the orientation of the first mould part, the second mould part and the panel is adaptable to position a first segment of said portion of the periphery of the panel lower than a second segment of the portion of the periphery of the panel.